Members 144dB Posted January 27, 2012 Members Share Posted January 27, 2012 Hey guys, I do my own mastering in my home studio (or at least I try my best to), and I have a quick EQ/frequency question. With regard to the upper end of the frequency spectrum, can you think of a scenario where you would roll-off the highs (e.g. apply a low pass filter at 15K, 18K, or 20K)? I always roll-off the low frequencies before compression (usually a 30 Hz or 40 Hz HPF through my UAD Precision EQ), but that's to get rid of the rumble and maximize headroom. When it comes to the highs, I'm not sure if it's better to apply some very light boost or if there is merit in rolling off the high-end. Naturally this is going to depend a lot on the material. Pete Doell did some videos for Universal Audio in which he applied a 1.0 dB boost at 27K to open things up. I've tried it myself but I haven't noticed a big difference. It's beyond the traditional realm of hearing, but he claims that it does impact the finished product. Anyways, if you have thoughts on mastering the high-end frequencies for typical rock/pop, I'd love to hear them. Todd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gubu Posted January 27, 2012 Members Share Posted January 27, 2012 Depends on the material. The only HF 'cut' I've ever done when applying mastering is some narrow band compression to tame esses or hihats, using a multiband compressor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CME Posted January 27, 2012 Members Share Posted January 27, 2012 I've wondered about this also. Especially after looking at a RTA with some CDs playing. Seems some people do low pass sometimes. I don't remember exactly, but I think it was a Disciple CD that had nothing above about 18k. I couldn't really tell by listening anything was missing, but according to the RTA it was. Definitely an interesting topic. Especially about whether we can even hear/feel anything that high. However not all equipment will support frequencies that high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zooey Posted January 27, 2012 Members Share Posted January 27, 2012 Pete Doell did some videos for Universal Audio in which he applied a 1.0 dB boost at 27K to open things up. I've tried it myself but I haven't noticed a big difference. It's beyond the traditional realm of hearing, but he claims that it does impact the finished product. That's not only beyond the range of hearing, but beyond what can be reproduced in 44.1k PCM audio (according to Nyquist). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I never really use a LPF to roll off the highs above X frequency (20kHz or whatever), but I will pull the highs back with a shelving EQ (or Har-Bal) if they were mixed too hot... but again, as you yourself noted, it really depends on the source material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IsildursBane Posted January 27, 2012 Members Share Posted January 27, 2012 That's not only beyond the range of hearing, but beyond what can be reproduced in 44.1k PCM audio (according to Nyquist). A theoretical reason to do it would be that it would still have some effect at frequencies below 27k; how much effect would depend on the slope of the shelf. Practically, at most, you're looking at a small fraction of a dB boost at any audible frequency. -Dan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.